2026-08-13
Psalm 62:5 KJV
We all have expectations of others. Many times, we may not be totally aware of our expectations, or we don’t express them or will not acknowledge that they are unrealistic. Therefore, they can cause us a great deal of frustration. Failed expectations will always create stress if we allow them. Unfortunately, some of the most harmful expectations are the ones we have of ourselves. “I should be able to raise three children, have dinner on the table each night, work ten-hour days, and look perfect when my husband walks through the door.”
Make a list of your key expectations beginning with the most important people in your life, and list your key expectations of each person. Try to be objective in whether they are realistic. Understand the origin or core reason for an expectation. Have you shared these expectations? If not, why not? Do you fear rejection? What is the worst that could happen? Are you willing to negotiate some of your expectations? To preserve your peace, there may be instances in which you may have to eliminate certain expectations.
The psalmist wrote: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” That means you may have to expect less from people and more from God. Don’t set yourself up to be frustrated. Bring your expectations before God for a valuation. Let Him weed out the unrealistic ones and give you the courage to express the ones that need to be communicated. Trust God to influence the hearts of those involved so your expectations don’t become a source of stress for you or them.
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 119:57-64; Pro 21:7-9
2026-08-12
2 Petrus 3:18 NLV
Hoe kan jy geestelik groei? Deur die volgende vyf dinge te doen:
1) Herontdek die Bybel. Jy sal nooit geestelik groei sonder om jou gedagtes in die Skrif te verdiep nie. Toe Jesus vir die duiwel gesê het: ‘…’n Mens het meer as brood nodig om van te lewe. Wat jy eintlik nodig het, is om te leef van elke woord uit God se mond’ (Matteus 4:4 NLV), het Hy ‘n vers uit Deuteronomium aangehaal wat Hy gememoriseer het. As Jesus die Skrif nodig gehad het, het jy dit ook nodig.
2) Hervat jou gebedslewe. Charles Spurgeon het gesê: ‘Net soos jy nie kan verwag dat ‘n plant sonder lug en water moet groei nie, so kan jy nie verwag dat jou hart sonder gebed en geloof moet groei nie.’ Wanneer jy begin bid dat God bonatuurlik in jou lewe moet optree, sal jy wonderwerke begin sien gebeur.
3) Skakel weer met God se mense. ‘Laat ons voortdurend aandag gee aan mekaar – oor hoe ons mekaar kan aanspoor tot ‘n meer kragdadige beoefening van liefde en goeie dade… Kom ons moedig mekaar aan…’ (Hebreërs 10:24-25 NLV).
4) Weerstaan jou sondige gewoontes. ‘Onthou, die versoekings wat oor julle pad kom, is nie uniek nie; ander ondervind dit ook. God is getrou. Hy sal keer dat die versoeking te sterk vir julle word. Midde-in die versoeking sal Hy vir ‘n uitweg sorg sodat julle kan volhou’ (1 Korintiërs 10:13 NLV). Kies altyd God se ‘uitweg.’
5) Belê in ander. God het ‘n plek vir jou gereed gemaak om te dien en in mense te belê. Maak ‘n kwaliteitsbesluit dat jy nie net in die kerk gaan sit en die een preek na die ander gaan luister nie; maar dat jy gaan begin optree volgens wat jy geleer het.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 8-11; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 119:49-56; Spr 21:4-6
2 Peter 3:18 NKJV
How can you grow spiritually? By doing these five things:
(1) Rediscover the Bible. You will never grow spiritually without soaking your mind in Scripture. When Jesus told the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 NKJV), He was quoting a verse from Deuteronomy that He’d memorized. If Jesus needed the Scriptures, you do too.
(2) Restart your prayer life. Charles Spurgeon said, “As well could you expect a plant to grow without air and water as to expect your heart to grow without prayer and faith.” When you venture into the realm of the impossible and start praying for God to move supernaturally in your life, you will begin to see miracles.
(3) Reconnect with God’s people. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV).
(4) Resist your sinful habits. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). Always choose God’s “way out.”
(5) Invest in others. God has a place for you to serve and people for you to invest in. Make a quality decision that you are not going to just sit in church and soak up one more sermon; instead, begin to act on what you have learned.
Soul food: 2 Chr 8-11; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 119:49-56; Pro 21:4-6
2026-08-11
Romeine 12:21 NLV
Tydens die Koreaanse Oorlog is ‘n Suid-Koreaanse burger deur die kommuniste in hegtenis geneem. Toe die jong kommunistiese leier uitvind dat hy die hoof van ‘n weeshuis is, het hy egter besluit om sy lewe te spaar. In plaas daarvan het hy beveel dat die man se seun tereggestel moet word. Die negentienjarige seun is in die teenwoordigheid van sy vader geskiet. Na die oorlog is die jong kommunistiese leier deur die Verenigde Nasies gevange geneem en ter dood veroordeel.
Voordat die vonnis egter voltrek kon word, het die Christen wie se seun doodgemaak is, vir die lewe van die moordenaar gepleit. ‘Gee hom vir my,’ het die man gevra, ‘en ek sal hom oplei.’ Hoe ongewoon dit ook al was, het die Verenigde Nasies sy versoek toegestaan en die vader het sy seun se moordenaar in sy eie huis ingeneem en vir hom gesorg. Deur aan die liefde van God blootgestel te word, het daardie jong kommunistiese leier ‘n Christen en uiteindelik die pastoor van ‘n kerk geword.
Is jy al seergemaak, verraai of onregverdig behandel? In plaas daarvan om in woede terug te veg, hanteer dit Skriftuurlik: ‘Moenie vir enigiemand kwaad met kwaad terugbetaal nie… julle moet julleself nie wreek nie. Laat die straf aan God oor. Daar staan mos in die Skrif: ‘Dit is mý reg om te straf; Ek sal vergeld, sê die Here’… Moenie toelaat dat die slegte julle onderkry nie, maar deur goed te doen moet julle die slegte hokslaan’ (Romeine 12:17, 19, 21 NLV).
Sielskos: 2 Kro 5-7; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 119:41-48; Spr 21:1-3
Romans 12:21 NKJV
During the Korean War, a South Korean civilian was arrested by the communists and ordered to be shot. When the young communist leader learned that the prisoner in his charge was the head of an orphanage caring for young children, he decided to spare him. Instead, he ordered the execution of the man’s son. The nineteen-year-old son was shot in the presence of his father. After the war, the young communist leader was captured by United Nations forces and condemned to death.
But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose son had been killed pleaded for the life of the killer. He argued that the communist had been young when he ordered the execution, and that he really didn’t know what he was doing. “Give him to me,” the man requested, “and I will train him.” Unusual though it was, the United Nations forces granted his request, and the father took the murderer of his son into his own home and took care of him. The Bible says, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV). And by being exposed to the love of God, that young communist leader became a Christian and eventually went on to become the pastor of a church.
Have you been hurt, betrayed, or treated unfairly? Instead of retaliating in anger, handle it scripturally: “Never pay back evil with more evil… Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord… Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good” (Romans 12:17, 19, 21 NLT).
Soul food: 2 Chr 5-7; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 119:41-48; Pro 21:1-3
